Tag Archives: aapl

PC shipments climb out of two-year hole

The official end of life for Microsoft ‘s (MSFT) Windows XP operating system on April 8 continued to boost personal computer sales in the second quarter, market research firms Gartner and IDC reported late Wednesday. After eight quarters of decline, worldwide PC shipments were up a scant 0.1% year over year in the second quarter to 75.8 million units, Gartner said. Rival research firm IDC, which measures the market slightly differently, said that global PC shipments fell 1.7% year over year to 74.4 million units in Q2, but that’s much better than its projected decline of 7.1%. In the U.S., PC shipments rose 7%. Gartner put the increase at 7.4% and IDC at 6.9%. Four of the top five vendors in the U.S. saw double-digit growth — Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Dell, Lenovo and Toshiba. But Apple (AAPL) saw a decline of 1.3% to 1.7% in Q2, according to Gartner and IDC estimates…

China smartphone subsidy cuts likely to impact Apple

Apple’s (AAPL) smartphone sales growth in China is likely to take a hit because of actions by the Chinese government. China’s State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Council (SASAC) might be ordering its telecom carriers to reduce their sales and marketing costs by about 20%, out of which handset subsidies likely amount to more than one-third, UBS Securities analyst Steven Milunovich said Tuesday. China Mobile (CHL), which began selling the iPhone in January, cited the Apple (AAPL) handset as a reason why its subsidies on all phones will rise 29% this year, Bloomberg reported. About 50% to 60% of phone sales in China are subsidized

Apple hiring of Tag Heuer executive points to iWatch launch

Apple’s recent recruitment of a top sales and marketing executive from luxury watchmaker Tag Heuer indicates that Apple (AAPL) is close to bringing its rumored smartwatch-health tracker to market. Apple news website 9to5Mac reported Friday that Apple has hired Patrick Pruniaux, vice president of sales and retail for Swiss watch company Tag Heuer. Apple previously hired former Yves St. Laurent CEO Paul Deneve to work on marketing and sales tactics for the upcoming Apple wearable device, which many are calling the iWatch. Last month, 9to5Mac said Apple was working with well-known professional athletes to test the fitness capabilities of the iWatch. The athletes were said to include L.A. Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant and L.A. Kings hockey player Dustin Brown. The iWatch reportedly has 10 sensors, including ones for reading a person’s blood pressure, heart rate and hydration levels. The wrist device is expected to be unveiled in October. …